Marin Tender Tracks Jan. 22, 2015 Day 34

Crescent Waxing Moon
Sorich Park

Today we celebrated Velia’s birthday and she wanted to go back to this beautiful place that we had so much fun at on Tuesday.  On the way there  a need to stop the bus arose and support to the children, mainly Jai, Theron and Everett who were delightfully  using language that wasn’t working for everyone.  Don’t worry here, they were using language that I have heard from four year olds for as long as I have been working with them and, I did what I do, aid them in making different choices due to the groups need.   This time it seemed right to bring out the beautiful Turtle, Rabbit, Deer, Bird Feather Rattle with such dignity and grace.  Each one held it with reverence and awe and with three shakes, and deciding  to choose different languaging, they  would say “I agree” and then pass it to their neighbor. As we began to drive off  Hana and Ariel thought they would give the languaging a go.  I stopped again and gave some different options.  They stopped, we moved on, and we got to our destination by way of singing different songs and playing games in the bus.
They immediately ran out and Everett, who had not been there on Tuesday, had a great deal of fun running right up to the top of the rock.
Shortly after we got there Velia’s Dad came for the birthday circle, we sang, heard the Birthday story, Velia blew her candle out, made her wish, was sung to, received her present and then, she passed out her delicious snack that her Grandmother made for us all.  The children were really happy and enjoying themselves with this snack!
When we got there they also ran right to where they had put all the birds nests we made on Tuesday.  Only ONE was seen on the ground!  All the rest were completely gone. No trace of the string that was holding them or seeds or apple pieces.  This was a beautiful tracking mystery and we had fun wondering and searching for clues.
They cracked open some more Pecans and Theron, with shoulders hunched like a thief lurking through the dark ally ways hoping not to be seen as he “stole” the pecans and hid them behind a bush.  It all became a game that we later on played to find the Pecan jar!! 🙂
We all ate lunch atop the great rock and then it became time to go where they had wanted to go, back to “Natures Playground.”  But oh yes, I got a cut with some nice blood coming out and I called upon our great Guardian of Safety, Ariel.  All the children went to gather plantain for me to put on my cut.  I did that, Ariel put the bandage on and all went very well.
In order t go back to our Playground we had to find a different way then the way we went the first time around and to remember how we came back the last time.  Through some problem solving, looking at the Sun and where the bus was and checking out different trails, we found our way.  We then had to find which trail to take at different junctures and Jai was delighted when he and Linsey found and took a short cut which brought them out in front of the rest of us!
When we finally climbed up the big hill the children were in joy, yet again, with all that they had to play with there.
Theron, Jai, Everett and Julian all became different animals as Theron wanted to go way up the hill and hide something.  Jai became an Owl and Julian was a Turkey Vulture.  One soared and one flew quietly while Theron was a Coyote I believe and Everett was the guardian of ???
They stayed in their characters for pretty much the rest of the day until we had to go down the hill.
And oh yes, I forgot, after snack we took out the Soap Root plant that we gathered on Tuesday and one that Linsey had gathered at the beginning of the school year near where she lives.   We cut it all up into pieces and then washed our hands.  It is always such a magickal event when you take this plant, pour water on your hands, rub them together vigoriously and soap suds appear.  It was a fun time had by all.